Computing machine



I 19440 a. 2 5. HELLGREN COMPUTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 5 1945 3 sheetsSheet l G. H. HELLGREN I 293551874 COMPUTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 5,, 19433 Sheets-Sheet 2 19445 3. H. HELLGREN COMPUTING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5Filed Feb. 5, 1945 Patented Dec. 26,1944

COMPUTING MACHINE Gustaf Hilarius Hellgren, Stockholm, SwedenApplication February 5, 1943, Serial No. 474,876 In Sweden December 22,1941 6 Claims.

The invention relates to computing machines, and more particularly toadding machines having means for taking totals. In such adding machinesa blank or spacing stroke of the'handle or a blank cycle of the machine,when the latter is driven by a motor, is to be performed when taking asubtotal or a final total.

When an amount is to be carried from one order to the next higher ordera carrying element is in a withdrawn position and therefore it is notable to cooperate with the corresponding adding wheel, so that it isimpracticable to printv a total while the carrying element is in suchwithdrawn position. It has therefore previously been proposed in orderto avoid faulty registrations to introduce an additional or blank strokeof the handle or an additional or blank cycle of the machine. 7

When an item last added does not involve a carrying, a subtotal or afinal total may be taken without such blank stroke of the handle.However, for the sake of uniformity in actuation of the machine, it isdesirable that the totaling operations shall not be varied on account ofcarrying operations.

Moreover, an amount previously set up frequently remains in the machine,for instance upon the use of the repeat key, or upon incorrectintroduction of an amount, for instance at an interruption of the workor the like. In known machines, such an amount will have to be cancelledthrough a special operation, for instance by causing the carriage toreturn to its initial position during an additional non-add-stroke, orin some other way. By the introduction of a compulsory blank strokeprior to the totalizing operation, such an additional operation isrendered unnecessary in the use of the arrangement according to theinvention.

The principal object of the invention is to provide means for lockingthe differentially movable members during such blank stroke, which isaccomplished by a new and useful construction of parts cooperating withthe subtotal taking key I and the final total taking key.

For convenience in affording an understanding of the invention the samewill be described as applied to or embodied in a ten-key adding machineof well known type such as for instance disclosed in Patent No.2,203,336 to Walter W. Landsiedel or applied to the adding machinedisclosed in my United States Patent No. 2,303,692. I would have itunderstood however that the present invention is not limited to machinesof the general character illustrated in said patent or in my patentapplication.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the followingdescription, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a side View partly fragmental and partly in section of oneform of embodiment of my invention, the view being taken from the lefthand side of the machine, all parts not necessary for the properunderstanding of the invention having been left out.

Fig. 2 is a similar View showing parts of the new mechanism in adifferent position.

Fig. 3-is a similar view with parts of the mechanism also in differentpositions.

Fig. 4 is a fragmented plan view illustrating the carriage containingthe stop pins and means for rocking said carriage.

Fig. 5 is a fragmental front view of the new mechanism.

Fig. 6 is asimilar view with parts in a diiferent position.

The invention is shown as embodied in an add- 7 ing machine having amovable carriage supporting stop pins which will limit the advance ofthe adding or the subtracting differentially movable members which areconnected to actuators (not shown) which in their turn are adapted toadjust the wheels of the accumulator (not shown) in accordance withamount entered by the digital keys. In addition to the ten digital keysthe machine is usually provided with a repeat key and a non-add key, andfurther, as in the example shown, with a subtotal taking key and a finaltotal taking key. In a motor driven machine there is usually alsoemployed a special motor key. It is assumed that the function of thesaid keys (not shown) is well known and also that the function ofthemechanisms for total taking is well known. In the drawings only suchparts have been illustrated which are necessary for carrying theinvention into practice, the invention consisting substantially of meansfor locking the differential members during the blank stroke.

The total taking mechanism includes a key 5 mounted in a conventionalmanner within a housing NH. The lower end of the key stem is pivoted toa bell lever 3, 4 which may be rockedabout its pivot 2. The free end ofthe arm '4 of the lever is. pivoted to a movable plate 5 having a slot 6with two slot extensions '1 and '8. These slot extensions are adapted tocoop-' erate withapin 9 fast to a partition I02 extendmg lengthwise ofthe machine. The plate supports a bell lever I which may be rocked aboutits pivot I03. A spring II tends to rock the bell lever I0 in counterclockwise direction, a stop pin 52 fast to the plate 4 limits suchrocking movement of the bell lever. The lower arm of the bell lever IQhas a recess I3 with which it is adapted to be lifted by a stud orroller I4 mounted on an arm I5 fast to the main shaft I6 of the machine.In the example chosen to illustrate the invention it is assumed that theshaft I6 performs a rocking movement to and fro during each cycle of themachine. A support I04 fixed to the partition I 02, supports a shaft I!having a bell lever I8, I0 rotatably mounted thereon. One arm IQ of thisbell lever has a stud 20 which extends into the slot 6. The other arm I8has a shoulder 2! to cooperate with a stud 22 on a lever 23, 24fulcrumed about shaft I05. The end of the arm 23 has a cam surface 26,the centre of which coincides with the axis of the shaft I6. This camsurface has the same radius as the tangential surface of the roller I4,so that normally the roller I 4 may slide along this cam surface 26without affecting the position of the lever 23, 24 when the latter islatched by the bell lever I8, I9 as shown in Fig. 1. A spring 25 Whoseone end is attached to the shaft I6 and whose other end is attached tothe arm 23, tends to rock the lever 23, 24 in clockwise direction. Aboutthe shaft I05 is further pivoted a lever 21, 2B, the arm 21 of which isconnected with the mechanism (not shown) which effects the total taking.Furthermore the lever '23 and the upper chamfered end surface of theplate 5 are also connected with the mechanism (not shown) which isnecessary for obtaining the blank stroke and the final stroke by meansof members 80, 8|, B2, 83, B4, 86 partly shown with dash-dotted lines inFig. 1. As these members are not directly concerned with the subjectmatter of the invention their function will not be described.

The arm 24 of the lever 23, 24 has a lug 3I which serves to actuate thelever 21, 28 in clockwise direction when the latch I8, I 3 is tripped.The arm 28 supports a stud 29 and its end has the form of a cam surface30. The object of the said stud and said cam surface will be explainedas follows. A shaft 33 the ends of which are supported by a member 32and by a partition plate 46, respectively, supports a yoke 34, a spring35 tending to pull the yoke rearwardly; or to the left as seen in Fig.1, and also towards the right hand side of the machine, as seen in Fig.5. The stem of the key I is provided with a wedge shaped member 36cooperating with the yoke '34. The cam surface 80 of the lever arm '28is in contact with the rearward surface of the yoke 34, so that when thelever 23, 24 is rocked .in clockwise direction, the lever 21, 28 followsin the same direction and the cam surface 36 pushes the yoke 24forwardly, or to the right as seen in Fig. 1. The wedge shaped member 36on the stem of the key I cooperates with the cross bar 34' of the yoke34 so that the yoke will be rocked counter clockwise, as seen in Fig. 5,when the key I is pressed down. The forward vertical arm 34" of the yoke'34 cooperates with alug 38 on a bar 40. This lug has a step 39 and arecess 4|, so that the vertical arm 34" may cooperate either with thestep 39 or with the recess ll depending upon as to whether the yoke 34is in its normal position, as shown in Fig. '1, or is pushed to theright as shown in 'Fig. 3. subtotal key I0 has a stem TI, the lower endof which is pivotally connected to a bell lever I3,

The

14 which is rockable about a stud I2. The arm I4 is shown fragmentallyfor the sake of clearness. This arm I4 is connected with the mechanism(not shown) which brings about the printing of the subtotal and alsobrings about the function of the various parts necessary for suchprinting. The arm 13 of the bell lever has a lug I5 which overlies thearm 3 of. the bell lever actuated by the key I. When depressing subtotalkey I0 not only the mechanism connected to the arm I4 will be actuatedbut in addition all the parts which are actuated by depressing the keyI.

Fast to the partition I02 is a stud 62 which forms the fulcrum of alever 63, 64. The rear end of the arm 64 has a slot I06 into whichenters the stud 29 on the arm 28. The forward end of the arm 63 isconnected by means of a link 6| to the right hand arm 59 of a lever 58,59 supported by a stud 60. The left hand arm 58 has a fork 51 whichgrips the forward end portion of the carriage plate 55. This carriage isprovided in well known manner with stop pins 54 and with a zero rail 53.Supported in guiding combs I01, I08 are the differential members 5I. Therear end of these differential members -have been shown fragmentally forthe sake of clearness. These rearward ends are otherwise connected in amanner known per se, for instance as illustrated in my Patent No.2,303,692 to the actuators. The forward end of these differentialmembers have a lug 52 which normally rests against the zero rail 53. Thecarriage 55 is supported at its rear portion by a shaft 56 extendingtransversally of the machine.

When the arm 28 is rocked in clockwise direction the stud 29 presses bymeans of its connection with the slot I06, the lever 63, 54 manticlockwise direction, whereby the lever 58, 59 will also be rocked inanticlockwise direction as seen in Fig. 5, so that the carriage 55 isrocked in clockwise direction about the shaft 56, the lugs 52 'on thedifferential members 5I then being released from the zero rail 53.

The bar is supported by studs 44 fast to the plate 06. the bar 40 beingprovided with slots 43 so as to allow a longitudinal movement of thesame. A spring 4'! attached with one end to the bar and with the otherend to the plate 46 tends to pull the bar 40 towards the right hand sideof the machine, as seen in Fig. 5. The lower edge of the bar :8 hasrecesses which allow the upper edges of the differential members '5I tomove in longitudinal direction. Each one of the differential members Siis provided on its upper edge with a recess T! through which passes thelower edge of the bar 40 when the differential members occupy theirinitial position, as shown in mg, l. to the left, as seen in Fig. 5,solid parts 50 of the lower edge enter into the recess '11 of thedifferential members 5! so that the latter are prevented from movingrearwardly when the carriage is rocked clockwise during the blankstroke.

I will now described the manner in which the various parts function andcooperate with each other when a subtotal or a final total shall be Whenhowever the bar 40 is pressed tioned are latched in this position. Themember I is rocked in clockwise direction on account of the fact thatits lower arm contacts with the roller 14. At the same time the wedge 36on the key stem I has rocked the yoke 34 in counter clockwise directionas viewed in Fig. with the result that the bar 40 is pushed to the left,thereby looking all differential members 5|. This is illustrated in Fig.6. When taking a total, the machine performs two cycles, i. e. a blankcycle, and the actual total taking cycle. During the first half of thefirst cycle the machine shaft I5 is rocked clockwise, and tens carrying,if any is performed. Before the carriage supporting the stop pins isreturned to its initial position to the right hand side of the machine,the lugs 52 of the differential members 5| rest against the zero rail53, as illustrated in Fig. 4. During the second half of the first cyclethe roller l4 engages the recess l3 of the member l0 whereby the plate 5will be rocked about the pivot 4' with the result that the lower edge 6'of the slot 6 cooperates with the stud 2!! on the bell lever |8, |8, sothat the latter will be rocked in counterclockwise direction into theposition as shown in Fig. 3. The following functions are herebyreleased: the spring 25 rocks the lever 23, 24 in clockwise directionthereby lifting the member 8|. By means of the lug 3| the arm 28 isrocked in clockwise direction with the result that the levers 63, 64 and58, 59 are actuated and the carriage plate 55 is rocked clockwise. Atthe same time the yoke 34 is pushed to the right as seen in Fig. 1 sothat its vertical arm 34" now registers with the recess 4| allowing thebar 40 to be pulled by the spring 41 to its right hand end position. Inth s position the differential members 5| are again free to pass withtheir upper edge through the recesses 50 of the bar 40. The differentialmembers 5| are now free to move differentially according to the angularposition of the zero stops of the accumulator (not shown). This movementtakes place, however, only at the next stroke, inasmuch as the members(not shown) that actuate the members 5| have already reached theirinitial positions. Simultaneously with the release of the members 5| bythe bar 40, or immediately thereafter, the carriage plate 55 is returnedinto its initial position.

During the second cycle the subtotal or the final total will be printedand the differential members 5| will be pushed back to their initialposition as shown in Fig. 3. The main shaft I6 rocks at first inclockwise direction during which the roller I4 rocks the lever 23, 24 incounterclockwise direction so that it will be latched again by the belllever I8, I9. A spring Ilfl attached to the lever 63, 64 tends to rockthe said lever in clockwise direction, a stop member I09 limiting suchrocking motion. When the lever 23, 24 again occupies the position shownin Fig. 1, the spring H0 has rocked the lever 63, 64 and consequentlyalso the lever 21, 28 so that the spring 35 is now in a position to pullthe yoke 34 to the left in Fig. 1. In this position the vertical arm 34"registers again with the step 39 on the lug 38.

When the differential members 5| are returned into their initialpositions, the oblique surfaces at the forward ends thereof (to theright as seen in Figs. 1 and 3) ride over and depress the zero rail 53to swing the carriage plate 55 downwardly against the action of thespring HI. This rocking of the carriage plate moves the arm 63, 84 in acounterclockwise direction, and thereby moves the arm 21, 28 in aclockwise direction at the same time. The lever arm 23, 24 does notparticipate in this movement, however, as the lug 3| of arm 24 providesa one-way coupling of arms 23, 24 and arms 21, 28 which permits the arm21, 28 to move clockwise without transmitting motion to arm 23, 24. Whenthe oblique end portions of the differential members 5| have passed thezero rail 53, the carriage plate and the arms 63, 64 and 21, 28 arereturned to their normal positions by the spring H0, the differentialmembers 5| being then looked anew by the zero rail 53, see Fig. 1. Thecomputing machine is thus conditioned for the entry of further items ifa sub-total had been taken by the described operations, or for a newcomputation if a total had been taken.

What I claim is:

1. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a totalingkey, a plurality of differentially movable members, a cyclicallyoperable main shaft, and mechanism. for introducing a blank cycle ofoperation of said main shaft between an actuation of the totaling keyand the total-taking cycle of operation of the main shaft; saidmechanism comprising locking means movable by the totaling key uponactua tion thereof to lock said differentially movable members againstdisplacement, unlocking means movable to restore said locking means toinoperative position, means normally latching said unlocking meansagainst movement, and releasing means including a pair of membersoperable respectively by said totaling key and said main shaft forreleasing said latching means, the shaft-operable member being movableby the key-operable member into position for operation by said mainshaft during the second half of the first cycle of shaft operation afteran actuation of the totaling key.

2. In a machine of the class described, the invention as recited inclaim 1, wherein stop means normally blocks displacement of saiddifferentially movable members, in combination with means operable bymovement of said unlocking means to free said differentially movablemembers from said stop means.

3. In a machine of the class described, the invention as recited inclaim1, wherein said locking means comprises a plate and cooperating recessesin the several differentially movable members, and means supporting saidplate for sliding movement transversely of said members.

4. In a computing machine of the type includ- 5 ing a cyclicallyoperable main shaft, a plurality of differentially movable members to bereleased for a total taking operation, a totaling key, and mechanism tobe set by said key for operation by the main shaft during an idle cycleto release said members; characterized by the fact that said mechanismcomprises a slotted plate movable into operative position by said keyupon actuation thereof, a member mounted on said plate and movablethereby into position for operation by the main shaft to move saidslotted plate, a latch having means projecting into the slot of saidplate for engagement by the edge of said slot to release the latch uponmovement of the plate by the main shaft, and means movable upon releaseof said latch to release said diiierentially movable members fordisplacement.

5. In a computing machine, the invention as recited in claim 4, incombination with a look-- ing plate operable by said key upon actuationthereof to lock said differentially movable memmain shaft to render saidlocking means inoperative; said locking means including a yoke movableby said key and a locking member having a lug for engagement by a leg ofthe yoke; and said means operable by said main shaft includes means fordisplacing said yoke to carry said leg of the yoke away from said lug.

GUSTAF HILARIUS HELLGREN.

